"Calm down now Miss, everything is going to be alright. You're safe now" The old man said handing her a handkerchief, he believed that she was crying because she was scared; he couldn't be further from the truth.

He placed his arm around her and led her up the docks. He continued to reassure her, telling her that soon he would return her home safe and sound.

From the moment she told him her name; the old man had recognized who she was. From the looks of it, it seemed that her disappearance was widely heard of.

Esperanza walked numbly next to him as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her down the street.

Before she knew it they were standing in front of her house. It looked just like it had months ago, except now the exterior was decorated with patio furniture.

The man behind her said something but Esperanza ignored him as she walked up the steps and stopped inches from her front door. This entire moment seemed so surreal, like at any time she could wake up and find herself back on the Pearl.

Back with Jack.

She knocked on the door, afraid of what she would see on the other side. She heard the locks being turned on the other side of the door and then the it started to open.

"Dios Mio" Anna gasped putting her hand on her chest when she saw Esperanza. Anna pulled her into a tight hug.

Esperanza pulled away to look her in the eye, Anna was crying and a smile dominated her face "I am glad to see you are still here" She said, she had expected Lucy to fire Anna as soon as Esperanza had disappeared.

"I knew you would come back to me child" Anna said holding her cheeks.

Esperanza could do nothing but smile and ask the question she had been afraid to ask "My father…where is he?"

Anna could see the fear in her eyes "calm down mija, he is alright. They are eating supper right now"

They? Who was they? Oh yeah Lucy.

Esperanza sighed in frustration, the witch lives on.

"I must see him" she said pushing past Anna and walking through the house to the dining room. She pulled open the doors and stepped through. Her father was sitting at the end of the long family table; Lucy sitting at his left.

Startled at the noise the door had made, her father looked up and met Esperanza's eyes. Lucy turned around to see what he was looking at and her eyes grew big with surprise.

"Esperanza" He father's voice broke through the silence. He quickly stood up and ran over to her, gathering her in his arms.

Esperanza couldn't speak and she hugged her father. She was so relieved to find him alive and well.

He pulled away to cough to his right.

Maybe not so well.

"Father, are you alright?" she asked looking up at him with concern

"Now I am" He answered smiling down at her. He walked into the kitchen and started ordering the house servants to bring his daughter some food and prepare a bath for her.

Lucy stood up and begun walking towards Esperanza. Then, she noticed it, Lucy was wearing a navy blue maternity gown; the type that women only wore when they were about to give birth…or just had.

But that made no sense, her belly looked just as it had when Esperanza had left all those months ago.

Lucy continued making her way towards her with an evil smile on her face; fully aware of what Esperanza was seeing and thinking.

"Welcome home" she told her before following behind her father.

Esperanza just stood there motionless; she had no idea how to respond since she had no idea what was going on.

As if on cue, Anna walked up to her placing her hand on Esperanza's shoulder. "Come…I will show you"

Esperanza followed Anna out the living room and up the stairs. They passed her room and continued to the next one.

Anna pushed the door open and Esperanza walked in. The room was the same size as hers with one big mayor difference. There were to cribs inside, each one against one wall. The room was adorned with childhood paraphernalia and looked extremely well cleaned. Esperanza walked up to the crib to her right. Inside was a baby with pale skin and a small thatch of dark hair. A pink blanket lined the soft cushioned bottom of the cribs.

"Grace" Anna said from behind her, still standing at the door frame.

Esperanza nodded at walked to the other crib. This time everything around it was a soft shade of blue. The child inside sleeping peacefully was also as pale but his hair was an almost transparent blonde.

"Atticus"

"How old are they?" Esperanza asked turning to look at Anna.

Anna walked over to her and placed an arm around her "Just over a month"

Esperanza turned quickly and rushed out of the room. Those were her step sister and step brother and she couldn't be in that room much longer. They were a product of Lucy that made her feel like both her and her mother had now been replaced.

Just outside the room Esperanza leaned up against the wall and looked at the ceiling. How could her father have children with another woman beside her mother? Wasn't she good enough?

Anna walked out of the room and stood in front of Esperanza, gripping her shoulders "Listen to me, you are being selfish. It might be true that you dislike their mother but those children in there are your brother and sister. The link between you is your father, and if you love him you would want him to be happy and those children make him happy"

Esperanza was speechless at what Anna had said, in sounded like she was reprimanding her. "Yes I am sure they do" Esperanza said walking away.

Anna grabbed her arm and pulled her back "Don't you dare go off thinking that he cares more about those children then he cares for you. Your father wept and counted each and every day of your absence. He sent men looking for you throughout the continent with no avail"

Esperanza had started crying at those words, she had never meant to cause so much trouble. Even though it the back of her head she was relieved to know that he had cared.

"You have to understand mija your father had people around him telling him to give up, including myself…trying to convince him you were dead…but he never did. Now you owe it to him to show his children…your brother and sister…the same love" Anna finished and begun walking away "I will have your bath ready for you after you dine"

Esperanza nodded and made her way slowly back down the stairs with every single one of Anna words ringing in her head. She was right, Grace and Atticus didn't deserve her hate just because their mother was a evil witch.

She took her seat next to her father and in front of Lucy during dinner. No one spoke, the only sounds that were ever heard were those of her father coughing to his side once in a while.

She excused herself and went to her room were a large tub had been already filled next to the fireplace.

Her new furniture had arrived and obviously hadn't been unpacked until tonight since a few servants were just now finishing the job. When they had left Anna came in to help her undress.

Esperanza quickly sent her away, claiming she wanted to be by herself.

As she pulled her dress off, the letter Jack had given her fell out and flew to the ground. Esperanza picked it up, running her fingers across the folder paper and the sparrow seal in the front.

She was almost afraid to open it, what had Jack written that he couldn't tell her? She found a letter opener inside her bedside table, quickly ripped across the seal and begun reading.